Advertising-sign.



A. E. WHITCOMB.

ADVERTISING SIGN. APPLICATION FILED MC. II, 1912.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

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Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented J an. 4, 1916.

Application filed December 11, 1912 Serial No. 736,186.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. WVHIT- COMB, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Advertising-Signs, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to advertising signs and more particularly to the illumination thereof, an object of this invention being to provide a sign in which the light source is hidden from view While, at

the same time, it is effectively distributed over the face of an opaque slgn so as to obtain a perfect illumination of the latter with a minimum amount of light.

To this and other ends, the inventionconsists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, where the invention is illustrated embodied in a vehicle: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a vehicle body in which the invention is shown applied to two vertical walls thereof; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing, in horizontal section on the line (6-66, Fig. 1, one of the vertical sides of the illuminating chamber; and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing, in enlarged vertical section, the bottom wall of the illuminating chamber.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is provided a closed body comprising a bottom wall 1*, a top wall 1*, and four side walls 1. Some of these side walls, in the present instance twoopposite side walls, are provided with openings each spaced from all of the edges of its side wall. WVithin these openings, frames 9 and 10 of rectangular form are inserted so that said frames project into the body. The outer side of each frame is closed by a glass panel 7 held in place by strips 7. At the inner sides of the frames, the sign elements 5 and 6 are arranged. In this instance, each sign element is in the form of a flexible sheet with any suitable advertising or other matter arranged thereon. Prefer ably the sheets are movable and, to this end,

are arranged on rollers 1, 2, 3 and 4, two of such rollers being supported at the upper part of the casing, and the other two being supported at the lower part. It is preferred to support the two upper rollers 1 and 2 upon a cross piece 2? while the two lower rollers 3 and 41 are supported by a cross piece 3. The positions of the rollers are such that, when the sheets 5 and 6 are moved, they are also held with pressure against the upper and loweredges of the frames 9 and 10 and, to ease the action of the sheets over the frame edges, said edges are provided with rollers 9 Any suitable means may be employed for shifting or operating the sheets; i

In order to obtain illumination of the sign elements without exposing the source of light, the chambers formed by the rectangular frames 9 and 10 are provided with openings 9*, preferably in their upper and. lower walls, and over these openings are fitted light deflecting prism glasses 15, 16, 17 and 18. Above and below the chambers and within the in'closed body are arranged rows of incandescent lamps 11, 12, 13 and 11 provided with reflectors 20 which direct the light rays to the prism glasses 15, 16, 17, and 18 to be deflected laterally by the prisms onto the sign elements 5 and 6.

In order that each sign may be viewed at an angle as the vehicle is approaching or is leaving a given point, concave members 11 and 42 are arranged within the frames 9 and 10 in proximity to the opposite vertical sides of said frames. 41 and 42 may be made of aluminum so as to act as reflectors and thus eliminate any dark corners.

c From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a sign in which the source of illumination is entirely hidden while the light is effectively distributed over the entire face of the sign. The sign may be changed readily so that difierent advertisements may be displayed. This construction is especially adapted for vehicles and glass arranged between the view opening and the sign element to throw light rays on the face of the sign exposed through the view opening, and a lamp arranged to throw its rays on the-prism glass.

These members 2. An illuminated sign comprising a Wall provided with an opening spaced from the top and the bottom of the Wall, a chamber supported on the Wall to project inwardly and provided With openings in its top and bottom, a sign element closing the inner side of the chamber, light deflecting prism glasses closing the openings in the top and the bottom of the chamber and throwing light rays on the sign, and lamps arranged above and below the chamber on the inner side of the Wall.

3. A sign comprising a Wall provided With an opening, a frame arranged about the opening to provide a chamber, said frame being provided with openings in its top and its bottom Wall, a glass panel closing the outer side of the chamber, a sign element at the inner side of the chamber, light deflecting prism glasses arranged to (Yopies of this patent may be obtained for close the openings in the top and the bottom Wall of the frame and to deflect light onto the sign, and lamps arranged above and below the frame to direct light onto the prism glasses.

4. An illuminated sign comprising a Wall provided With an opening, a frame surrounding the opening and having openings in its top and its bottom Wall, a sign element at the inner part of the frame, light deflecting prism glasses closing the frame openings, lamps above and below the frame, and concave plates arranged Within the frame at opposite vertical sides of the sign element.

ALBERT E. VVHITUOMB.

lVitnesses:

J. E. HERMAN, CHAs. L. BRIDGEMAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

